Wastewater, road bonds pass

Library, flag pole, quality of life bonds fail to garner support

Alamogordo voters spoke loudly by defeating the library bond with 840 votes in its favor and 1504 against providing $3,500,000 toward a refurbished or new library.

Two of the bonds failed to pass muster with the city's residents: the installation of a 150-foot flag pole and a 60x30-foot flag at the corner of 10th Street and White Sands Boulevard, and the "quality of life" bond to provide funding for 10 projects, including resurfacing of the Oregon Avenue tennis courts and a spray park.

Mayor Steve Brockett said he was disappointed with the defeat of the quality of life bond.

"The ones that surprised me was the parks projects," Brockett said. "It would have had a positive effect on seniors and young children. We were excited about having something for our young people and kids to do."

Citizens' turned down the bond for $900,000 to construct a new fire station on the west side of town near the Charlie T. Lee Memorial Bypass. Voters did approve infrastructure bonds for $920,000 to reconstruct Pecan Drive, rebuild or replace the Ninth Street bridge, reconstruct First Street from White Sands Boulevard to the relief route and beautify the city entryway area, and $6.5 million to construct and repair the city's wastewater treatment plant.

Brockett said he was pleased with the passing of the two major infrastructure projects.

"I didn't think the library project would pass because of the input citizens had given me," Brockett said. "The voters have spoken.

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Commissioner Ron Griggs said he believes voters have expressed the importance for good roads.

"It's apparent the voters felt that the infrastructure projects were more important than the quality of life projects," Griggs said. "I thought the margins would have been closer. The wastewater treatment plant was most important, for sure. The other projects are important, too. A city can operate without them. You can't operate without a wastewater treatment plant."

Notes: It was a paltry turnout at the polls. The city reports 2,361 people cast ballots during Tuesday's election, or about 13.45 percent, out of 17,558 eligible voters.